Aug 29 2041: Cam Venable was hired as the new assistant coach.
Aug 29 2041: Assistant coach Ivan Luque leaves to pursue head coaching opportunities.
Aug 29 2041: Demoted to conference VI.29.
Mar 16 2041: 2-star prospect Toren Daniel committed.
Mar 08 2041: 2-star prospect Dan Haskins committed.
Mar 08 2041: 2-star prospect B.J. Riggs committed.
Feb 07 2041: 2-star prospect Sonny De Angelis committed.
Jan 17 2041: 2-star prospect James Free committed.
Dec 13 2040: Removed Sleezey as president.
Aug 30 2040: Demoted to conference V.15.
Pts Ave: 60.3 - 75.9 Pts Diff: -15.7 Team Power Index: 113.3
Press Releases:
Feb 15 2031: Proof that we would’ve easily been a tournament team last season! - by Slixzy2816 on March 23rd, 2023
You can’t control injuries, but this season’s success has thus far proven that we were absolutely destroyed by injuries last season. Our number 18 draft pick, “Daytona” Rossi has been killing it with the Jazz as a rookie and not had a single injury. We were top 25 and number one in the conference last season before his first long term injury and still finished fourth in the conference with our best player missing a third of the season. Now, a year later and only 2 medium injuries all season, we’re above 30 wins and number 1 in the conference. Not to mention, we’ve been ranked top 25 for a majority of the season. We’ve certainly had improvements over the course of this season, but we don’t have a true star player like Rossi and we’re the top dogs of the conference this season. I can’t say how the season will end, but I’m very proud of my returners for having that “chip on their shoulders”. I’m definitely hurt that we missed out on a great opportunity to make an elite 8 last year, but if we make the sweet 16 this year, we can count the season as a major success. Building this program from the ground up after taking over as the Athletic Director was tedious and took a lot of hard work from the players, coaching staff, and boosters. I can say that teamwork goes far beyond the basketball court and it’s the community we have here at Florida International that makes us special. We’ve been able to recruit the players we want and although we’ve lost some guys, the ones that have come through the program have been outstanding players and citizens. From Morrow, Benson, and Eller to Rossi, McCullough, and Howells. From Craig, Felder, Person, and Martin to Skelton, Bachman, Sawyer, and Avery. On to the next generation of Michaels, Marshall, and Schneider. I couldn’t be more happy with this program and my decision to take over this organization. It’s a blessing to be here and we’ll continue to grow together. Allen Avery looks to be our next high level NBA player, but McCullough will be tough to pass on in the late second round as a offensive spark 6’9 small forward, who would probably play even better at the shooting guard position. Howells will be tough to pass on in the same range with his 6’9 255 pound frame and ability to play either forward position and score from all three levels of the court. With 4 seasons of division 1 experience and no single digit scoring seasons among them, he’s a proven commodity that could provide great bench minutes for a team. Similar to the roll Rossi was playing before he made the starting lineup this season.
Oct 10 2030: Thank you for your time Adrian Rossi! - by Slixzy2816 on February 14th, 2023
5 tremendous years, I did him wrong with a redshirt, but he was simply brilliant on and off the court. Adrian Rossi played as a starter for freshman year on a great team and was instantly ready as a sophomore, when he exploded from 8 ppg to 23 ppg. He developed into a point guard while the team developed around him and he was dominant as a scorer and high effort, iq combination player. He was recently selected number 18 in the first round of the 2030 draft. He was able to live up to his status and surpass expectations with the team. Florida International will always have our players back and that’s how we have been building! Good luck with the Utah Jazz!!!
Feb 09 2030: Long term injuries derail season - by Slixzy2816 on January 25th, 2023
Rossi has suffered from 2 separate injuries and missed 7 games as by far the best player in the team’s history. In a conference where top 3 should have been a lock, we suffered mightily during his lengthy absences and are still top 5 in the conference. Injuries are a funny thing as Rossi has only missed 1 game in his entire career, prior to this season. After playing over 30 minutes in previous seasons, he suddenly cannot hold up at only 30 minutes. It’s very interesting that he’d suddenly become injury prone when in his Senior season. Also, he’s the only player on my team with the green light ++, but he rarely takes much more shots than players I have - or ~. I love this game, but there are at least a few things that make little to no sense.
Apr 02 2029: Skeleton Man!! - by Slixzy2816 on December 15th, 2022
I”d like to show some appreciation to Vince Skelton, as a juco transfer, he was talented, but his game was incomplete. We discussed redshirting at the end of the exhibition period and he said, “Coach, you know, I can be okay this year as we struggle, or I can wait until next season and get the tables back turning. His patience led him to back-to-back 15 plus point per game seasons, and his Senior season (17 ppg) was perfect in a secondary role with Daytona. Daytona on the perimeter and Skeleton man at the rim gave multiple teams nightmares. Back to DI after his contributions. He will be sorely missed, although he also was a perfect mentor for Allan Avery! I couldn’t be more proud of a kid, the kind that will find success as a person anywhere he goes.
Mar 14 2027: Donnell Jaeger, The Immortal Walk on! - by Slixzy2816 on August 19th, 2022
After coming into the Florida International program with a low skill level and low projected potential, Jaeger came to me and said, "I'll do whatever it takes to play for this program before I graduate. Thank you for the opportunity to learn and improve as a man." I believed him because he worked as hard as a starter during his freshman year. After substantial growth, he earned an opportunity to play big minutes in a restock in the program's talent and rewarded the program with multiple jaw-breaking moments over the course of the season. The first walk-on in school history to score 40+ points, with 46 on the back of a 9-14 three-point night, including 17-23 from the field. In that game, he also recorded 9 assists, only bested by his career-high 11, which also came this season. As a first and only time starter, he averaged 15 points to go with 6 assists in the highest conference the program has ever reached in its history. Along with a 23.5-point-per-game season by 5-star bluechip Sophmore Adrian Rossi, "Nellz", as the team calls him, provided leadership and a prime example for the young players that entered the program for the first time this season. The redshirts paid close attention when he spoke, which shows the level of respect he earned in the locker room after playing with such great teams the previous years. Due to Jaeger being such a leader and hard worker, the team has a chance to make a quicker turnaround compared to the last time we fell from Division I. This time we will certainly avoid Division III. Without his performance this gap season, we wouldn't be able to see maximum growth from our players and Donnell Jaeger will always be remembered in FIU history!